if you here harry belafonte talk to your struck by his level of analysis. and so i think instead of being so hyper critical of contemporary artists what they do and what they don't do, i also think that they aren't any moment where there's a kind of heightened political activity on the part of any of us, that is not a moment of that kind of local movement and i think if it were, it might produce a different context and that might produce a different set of responses from the artists

if you hear harry belafonte talk today, you're struck by his level of analysis, right? and so i think instead of being so hypercritical of contemporary artists for what they do and what they don't do, i also think that they aren't in a moment where there's a kind of heightened political activity on the part of any of us, right? that that -- it's not a moment of that kind of political movement. and i think if it were, it might produce a different context, and it might produce a different set of responses from the artists themselves. >> um, i wanted to shift gears a little bit. i was just thinking about mary lou williams, she's the artist of the three that i knew the least. i know a little bit of her music and listened to some in reading your book. can you talk about writing her life after having done the work with billie holliday and, you know, your different approaches to music, just writing about music and how do you -- i always find it's the most challenging thing. in fact, i didn't write about music in harlem. i was a big failure. but i'm just curious how you inhabit

he leads by saying, today's gop is not racist, as harry belafonte -- that rabble rouser harry belafonte -- alleged about the tea party but it's trouble bowed the mainstream of avant-garde. people with conventional views must suppress a gag reflex when considering the mayor elect of new york, a white man married to a black woman and with two biracial children. emphasis, mine. should i mention bill de blasio's wife used to be a lesbian. this family represents culture challenges that enveloped part but not all of america. to cultural conservatives this doesn't look like their country at all. in other words, to bigots, intraracial marriage is a scary thing. >> he's got his finger on the pulse. >> he writes it at a time when the president of the united states is the son of a biracial couple. he's talking about iowa won by big margins. it's pretty crazy. >> what amazes me about this jonathan, the thesis, today's gop is not racist, then richard cohen says it's not racist then goeston to discuss a decidedly racist view. >> in the paragraph before he's making a comparison to dixiecrats and tenor

if you hear harry belafonte talk today, you're struck by his level of analysis, right?d so i think instead of being so hypercritical of contemporary artists for what they do and what they don't do, i also think that they aren't in a moment where there's a kind of heightened political activity on the part of any of us, right? that that -- it's not a moment of that kind of political movement. and i think if it were, it might produce a different context, and it might produce a different set of responses from the artists themselves. >> um, i wanted to shift gears a little bit. i was just thinking about mary lou williams, she's the artist of the three that i knew the least. i know a little bit of her music and listened to some in reading your book. can you talk about writing her life after having done the work with billie holliday and, you know, your different approaches to music, just writing about music and how do you -- i always find it's the most challenging thing. in fact, i didn't write about music in harlem. i was a big failure. but i'm just curious how you inhabit th

belafonte. watch this. >> why do you listen to harry? listening to the voice of a wisdom that's deeper than any wisdom we have in everyday life. >> he appeared to have a change of heart later and denounced the comments. joining me now with reaction, chairman of the rnc reince priebus is here. welcome to new york. >> hi, sean. good to be on. >> president, civility, really? >> it's the culture that the president has cultivated here. a culture of dishonesty, of hatred. look at the president's record. you can keep your doctor. you can't. keep your insurance, you can't. he is the master of talking and talking. now you are looking at him throwing darts to confuse the american people as to what is going on in the white house. >> he give it is same speech. republicans want dirty air, water, hate grandma, throw her off the cliff. cuccinelli is a tea partier. he didn't want to mention health care. >> no. he doesn't want the election to come to obama care because he'll lose. i think the president should take ownership not just of what he's said and

. >> some of the people in the video harry belafonte, stevie wonder, when you made the call to them,ingle one of those names saying they would not be on board happily. >> happily, meaning it's important to us and it's time and you know, it's such a gift and a joy to be engaged in the process and under democratic process and i think maybe we forget we each can do something, it seems like such an overwhelming issue and any overwhelming issue gets solved by slow continual person by person action. that's the invitation. and i think it's an ongoing project with more and more guests and friends lending their cameos and all of the people that come back with a really positive response. it's exciting to be a part of something to create more justice in the word. that's really what this project is all about. we sang as americans, we are not advocating, can't put our name on indefinite detention without a charge. can you imagine being thrown somewhere without being charged for 11 years. >> we know seven of the 800 men who passed through guantanamo have been convicted and sentenced, 7 out of 800.

if you here harry belafonte talk to your struck by his level of analysis.nd so i think instead of being so hyper critical of contemporary artists what they do and what they don't do, i also think that they aren't any moment where there's a kind of heightened political activity on the part of any of us, that is not a moment of that kind of local movement and i think if it were, it might produce a different context and that might produce a different set of responses from the artists themselves. >> i want to shift gears a little bit. in reading your book, can you talk about writing her life after having done the work with billie holliday and you know, your different approaches -- you're writing about music and i always find it the most challenging thing. i didn't write about music for harlem, but i'm just curious since this is how you have it to music and what's this like for you? >> mary lou williams was so intimidating to me to write about. and i initially wanted to write about her, then i decided i wouldn't, and the reason why i wouldn't is because i didn't

it wasn't just shirley mcclain, but it was individuals who became very supportive mike harry belafonte and tony bennett and at the end of the march from selma to montgomery, they wanted to identify the march on washington. they wanted to say we stand with you. i remember bobby dylan coming to the delta, the mississippi out on the field singing and playing his music. joan and others, peter paul and mary. they all were there. those were the days of hope and optimism that people were prepared to put their bodies on the line, to use -- their ability and capacity to say yes, we stand with you, yes we are with you. >> host: you are 73-years-old. any plans to retire? >> guest: i am 73 but i don't feel like i'm 73. i feel much younger. and my own staff -- they are much younger than i. that they cannot keep up with me. >> host: is that a point of pride? >> guest: i'm very proud, we have a race in atlanta. i don't use the ride in the car. i run into there would be hundreds of thousands of people. i would literally run through the streets of atlanta shaking hands with people. >> host: congressman